Firezone vs SoftEther VPN
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Firezone
Open-source secure remote access platform
VS
SoftEther VPN
Multi-protocol VPN server from the University of Tsukuba
| Feature | Firezone | SoftEther VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Elixir | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,104 | ★ 13,577 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Cisco AnyConnect, Tailscale | Cisco AnyConnect |
What are Firezone and SoftEther VPN?
Firezone
Firezone is a self-hosted secure remote access platform built on WireGuard, offering zero-trust network access with policy-based controls. It replaces traditional corporate VPNs.
- Zero-trust access policies
- WireGuard under the hood
- SSO integration
- Web admin portal
SoftEther VPN
SoftEther VPN is a powerful open-source multi-protocol VPN server supporting its own protocol plus OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and SSTP. It is known for high performance and firewall traversal.
- Multiple VPN protocols
- Excellent firewall traversal
- Cross-platform server
- High throughput
Firezone vs SoftEther VPN: key differences
Firezone is written in Elixir, while SoftEther VPN is built with C. SoftEther VPN is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Firezone. SoftEther VPN is the more established project (first released 2014), while Firezone arrived in 2021. Firezone lists first-class Docker deployment; SoftEther VPN does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Firezone if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Elixir
Choose SoftEther VPN if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Mature project with 13.6k GitHub stars
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Firezone or SoftEther VPN better?
Neither is universally better. SoftEther VPN has the larger community, while Firezone is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Firezone and SoftEther VPN free and open-source?
Yes. Firezone is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SoftEther VPN under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Firezone and SoftEther VPN with Docker?
Firezone: yes. SoftEther VPN: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Firezone or SoftEther VPN?
SoftEther VPN has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Firezone. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.